MUNQSMUN 2012 (INTRA) Special Crises Committee

Letter from The Executive Board Greeting Delegates! Welcome to the United Nations Security Council Crises Committee at the 9th Session of the MUNQS Model United Nations Conference 2012! We look forward an exciting and fun filled three daylong conference this April. While you all shall step into the shoes of diplomats representing over 45 member states, it becomes imperative for each one of you to realize that with great power comes great responsibility. From each one of you, we expect impeccable diplomatic conduct which includes diplomatic courtesy, effective lobbying and above all compromising on negotiable grounds. Delegates are also expected to be well versed with the MUN rules of procedure and the generic flow of committee proceedings, in order to enhance the level of debate. The committee shall be set up in a situation of crises. Delegates, it is you who form the committee and are the once who raise (or reduce) the quality or the level of debate in a committee. So, a majority share of responsibility with in ensuring the overall success of the Committee rests on your shoulders. As delegates of a committee as dynamic and fast paced as a UNSC crises committee, each one of you is expected to be by default well versed with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and those of the other relevant multilateral arrangements including treaties, regional arrangements, conventions, declarations and many more. Feel free to revert back to the executive board for any queries or for any form of assistance you shall need. Wish you best of luck for the conference.

-Sanchit Gupta, President 9953039013 -Muizz Drabu, Director -Anupriya Singh, Assistant Director

Committee Background and Dynamics

The United Nations Crises Committee forms an integral part of the United Nations Crisis management set up. On the request of the United Nations Security Council the UN mechanism provides such a Crises Committee to be established. The committee shall by default hold the mandate to deliberate upon every issue which lies under the purview of the security council that is, those under the provisions of Article V and those which are provided to the council both de facto and de jour- unless specified otherwise by a UNSC resolution. The Committee is in-turn aimed to facilitate negotiations and discussion with a larger set of member states as stakeholders. The Committee is expected to produce an advisory framework or action plan for the UN Security Council to resolve the emergency crisis situation at hand.

Rules of Procedure The membership shall be decided by the UN Security Council via a resolution adopted while acting under the provisions of Article 27 of the Charter of the United Nations; Standard UN Rules of procedure shall be followed; Unlike in conventional committees, despite of the Committee being in a crisis situation, delegates shall hold communication links to their respective governments however, the same must be in complete confidence and the confidentiality of the proceedings must be maintained; The proceedings of each say shall culminate with a Press Conference conducted by invited members of the distinguished World Press Community; The Scope of the Rules of Procedure shall be subjected to the discretion of The President.

Current Situations in the World Gulf of Aden:

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden is a gulf located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide. The waterway is part of the important Suez canal shipping route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean with 21,000 ships crossing the gulf annually. The gulf is known by the nickname "Pirate Alley" due to the large amount of pirate activity in the area. The Gulf of Aden is an area known for acts of piracy, making its waters dangerous for water transport. The main cause of piracy in the gulf is the lack of any viable government in Somalia. The International Maritime Bureau reported over two dozen actual and attempted attacks in 2007 in the gulf off of the coast of Somalia.

On 4 April 2008, pirates commandeered a French luxury yacht in the Gulf of Aden with 34 crew members off the coast of Somalia. On 21 August 2008, a dry cargo ship going from China to the Netherlands with 40,000 tons of iron ore, a crew of 29 and an Iranian flag was hijacked in international waters in the gulf. As a result of talks the ship and its crew were released on October 10. On 15 September 2008, the Japanese chemical tanker Stolt Valor was seized by pirates in the gulf off Somalia. The crew of 22 consisted of 18 Indians, two Filipinos, one Bangladeshi and one Russian. This vessel was later released on 16 November 2008 after 62 days in captivity, allegedly after a ransom of US$2.5 million was paid to the pirates. In order to deter piracy, the Maritime Security Patrol Area, a narrow corridor through the center of the gulf, was established in 22 September 2008 by the Combined Task Force 150. On 4 October 2008, pirates attacked an arms ship. Four attempts were foiled by counter-piracy maneuvering, and there were no captives or injuries reported in these encounters with Gulf pirates. On 11 November 2008, Jag Arnav a 38,265-tonne bulk carrier, owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company was attacked by pirates. The ship sent an SOS call which was picked up by an Indian Navy warship INS Tabar, patrolling the region. An armed helicopter with marine commandos was launched from the INSTabar to intervene and prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel. The helicopter attacked the pirates by firing on them, forcing them to abort the hijack attempt and escape from there. The INS Tabar claimed to have destroyed a pirate mother ship in the evening of 18 November 2008; the nature of the ship has since been disputed by the ship's owner. The ship was the Ekawat Nava 5, a deep-sea trawler whose crew was being held hostage below-deck by pirates at the time of the encounter. In December 2008, pirates attempted to hijack a US-based luxury cruising vessel, Nautica, but the vessel sped to safety. Yet another attempt by pirates was made on December 13 to hijack a cargo vessel flying an Ethiopian flag. After receiving the May Day call, an Indian Navy ship INS Mysore came to its rescue and captured 23 pirates, including those of Somali and Yemeni origin. On 3 December 2008, the MS Athena was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. There were reported to be 29 pirate boats surrounding the ship at one

stage until a US Navy P3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft circled above which led to some of the pirates to flee. The crew prevented the pirates from boarding by firing high pressure water cannons at them. No one was injured and the ship escaped without damage and continued on her voyage to Australia. The United States Navy's Combined Task Force 151 caught the first pirate in 50 years in the Gulf of Aden on Feb. 11, 2009. 16 Somalis were captured in two separate incidents. The actions by the United States Navy were authorized by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff via a Counter Piracy Execute Order that authorized the task force to capture pirates in the Horn of Africa region.

Strait of Hormuz:

Strait of Hormuz Here are some details about the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil export route, which Iran has threatened to block if it faces sanctions on crude exports: * WHERE IS THE STRAIT? - The channel is a narrow strip of water separating Oman and Iran. It connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. - At its narrowest point, the strait is 21 miles across and consists of 2-mile wide navigable channels for inbound and outbound shipping and a 2-mile-wide buffer zone. * OIL SHIPMENTS: - Hormuz had a daily oil flow of almost 17 million barrels in 2011, up from 15.5-16.0 million bpd in 2009-2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Flows through the Strait in 2011 were roughly 35 percent of all seaborne traded oil, or almost 20 percent of oil traded worldwide. U.S. warships patrol the area to ensure safe passage. - On average, 14 crude oil tankers per day passed through the Strait in 2011, with a corresponding amount of empty tankers entering to pick up new cargoes. More than 85 percent of these crude oil exports went to Asian markets, with Japan, India, South Korea, and China representing the largest destinations. - In addition to crude oil, 2 million barrels of refined oil products are exported through the passage daily, as well as liquefied natural gas. * STRATEGIC CORRIDOR: - Iran warned on December 27 it could stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if more sanctions were imposed on the country. The U.S. Fifth Fleet says it would not allow any disruption to shipping in the Strait. - Four days later U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law a defense funding bill that imposes sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran's central bank, which is the main conduit for oil revenues.

- EU foreign ministers said last month that Iran's energy, financial and transport sectors might be targeted in response to Western suspicions that Tehran plans to build nuclear weapons. Iran confirmed on Monday the start of uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear plant, Iran's Arabic language al Alam TV reported. However Iran says it is developing nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. - Iran could mine the strait as it did during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. - The U.S. Fifth Fleet is responsible for an area that includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. It consists of 20-plus ships, with about 15,000 people afloat and 1,000 ashore, with a Carrier Strike Group, an Amphibious Ready Group, combat aircraft, and other support units and ships. - Iran's navy consists of 23 submarines and around 100 patrol and coastal vessels. It is no match for the firepower of U.S. sea forces, but Iran could still cause havoc in the region using unconventional tactics, such as deploying small craft to attack ships, or using allies in the area to strike U.S. or Israeli interests. * INCIDENTS IN THE STRAIT: - In 1988 the U.S. warship Vincennes, in the Strait, shot down an Iranian airliner, killing all 290 on board, in what Washington said was an accident after crew mistook the plane for a fighter. Tehran called it a deliberate attack. - The United States said Iranian boats had threatened its warships by aggressively approaching them in the Strait on January 6, 2008. - In June 2008, Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief Mohammad Ali Jafari said Iran would impose controls on shipping in the vital Gulf oil route if the country were attacked. - In November 2010 a U.S. statement that militants were behind a blast on a Japanese tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in July increased concerns about security. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the failed raid on the M.Star. It was the first such militant attack in the Strait.

GENERIC TIPS FOR DELEGATES

Firstly, know your country well. Often historic dynamics are different than present day ones. Be extra-alert! Have quality presence of mind and take every situation as it comes. Be ready for surprises. Build up your position well. But at the same time remember that it is good to be adamant (With quality reasoning) but not good to be stubborn (just for the heck of it). Use logic! Often actions or deeds maybe unjustifiable on prudential or factual grounds, but the contrary can be portrayed in a convincing way by sheer manipulation of words (The Conflict Theory!). Be Realistic! It is good to have ingenuity and out of the box ideas, but remember we need to SOLVE a problem. Your points go in vain if their practical outlook is farfetched. KISS your points, that is, Keep It Simple and Stupid!
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